Dokken Take The Long Road
By
Frank Meyer,
Contributing Editor
Tuesday, December 11, 2001 @ 12:13 AM
Dokken Announces Tour Previewi
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Once again Don Dokken proves you can’t keep a good rocker down.... Even after the recent split-up with longtime Dokken collaborator/bassist Jeff Pilson and the departure of guitarists George Lynch and Reb Beach over the years, Don has carries on with original drummer Mick Brown in tow and has a new album ready to unleashes upon the world. Long Way Home is the debut album of the latest Dokken line-up, which also includes guitarist John Norum (formerly of Europe) and bassist Barry Sparks and will be released in 2/2002 through CMC International Records, a division of the Sanctuary Records Group. Norum, also played on Don Dokken's 1990 solo album Up From The Ashes. Sparks has played with several legendary guitarists such as Michael Schenker, Yngwie Malmsteen, Uli Jon Roth and Vinnie Moore. The California-based melodic hard-rockers embark on a month long tour in December to preview the effort and line-up.
"We've been waiting a long time to get a new studio album together," says Dokken, who produced the platter. "We've got some killer material. It's a true heavy rock record. We're looking forward to road testing the new material."
Dokken's last release was 2000's Live From the Sun concert album and DVD; the DVD was a critically acclaimed award-winner thanks in large part to innovative camera and editing techniques combined with mind-bending animation effects created and produced by Don himself. 1999's Erase the Slate was the group's last studio album. Live From the Sun and Erase the Slate are both available on CMC International. The group has released four LPs to date on CMC.
"I'm also excited because 2002 marks the 20th anniversary of the band. Breaking the Chains was released in America in 1982," Dokken says.
Breaking the Chains marked the beginning of Dokken's rapid rise to success. The band remains one of the finest hard-rock bands to emerge out of the 1980s. Rewarded with worldwide success, particularly in the United States, Japan and Europe, especially Germany, albums like Tooth and Nail, Under Lock and Key and Back For the Attack have all sold in the millions and included classic songs like "Just Got Lucky," "Alone Again," "In My Dreams," "Breaking The Chains," and many more.
Dokken is justifiably proud of his band's history, but he fearlessly embraces -- and enjoys -- the creation of new music and pushing forward. He isn't content living in his musical past.
"I think the reason we’ve lasted 20 years is because we've always moved forward. We’ve never been happy repeating ourselves. Some people say ‘Give us another Tooth and Nail, ' but bands like Led Zeppelin and the Beatles kept evolving and the fans kept up with that growth," says Dokken’s drummer "Wild" Mick Brown. "The problem with a lot of the '80s bands is that they became stagnant by doing the same thing over and over again."
"We’ve had to wait a long time to release a new album, but we ended up with a lot of great songs to choose from. We've cut 12 songs. Some of the material is Beatle-esque, Euro-metal and a classic sounding Dokken ballad. We want this LP to be balanced," says Dokken. "Our best records in my opinion, like Under Lock and Key, were well balanced musically."
In related news, former Dokken members Pilson and Lynch have joined forces in a brand new yet-to-be-titled band and are busy recording a debut studio effort to be released sometime next year. A tour will presumably follow. No word as to whether they will perform Dokken songs in the set.
Meanwhile, Don's Dokken is scheduled for a yearlong tour throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia. Dokken will return to U.S. concert stages in the spring and summer for a mammoth tour, here are the winter warm up shows:
12/27/01Baltimore, MD Thunder Dome
12/28/01 Clifton Park, NY Northern Lights
12/29/01 W. Springfield, VA JAXX
12/31/01 Portland, ME Asylum
1/2/02 West Warwick, RI The Station
1/3/02 Allentown, PA Crocodile Rock
1/4/02 Sea Bright, NJ Tradewinds
1/5/02 Wantagh, NY Mulcahy's
1/6/02 Hartford, CT Webster Theatre
1/9/02 Cleveland, OH Peabody's
1/10/02 Buffalo, NY Funhouse
1/11/02 Columbus, OH Al Rosa Villa
1/12/02 Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Theatre
1/13/02 Ottawa, IL Dynasty
1/15/02 Indianapolis, IN 8 Seconds Saloon
1/16/02 Fort Wayne, IN Piere's
1/17/02 West Chicago, IL Synergy
1/18/02 Cincinnati, OH Annie's
1/19/02 Harrisonburg, VA Mainstreets
1/20/02 Richmond, VA Razzles
1/24/02 Colorado Springs, CO The Gardens
1/25/02 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
1/27/02 Salt Lake City, UT Ritz Club
1/29/02 Santa Fe, NM Camel Rock Casino
1/31/02 Anaheim, CA House Of Blues
2/1/02 Las Vegas, NV House Of Blues
2/2/02 Hollywood, CA House Of Blues
2/3/02 Ventura, CA Ventura Theatre
2/4/02 San Francisco, CA The Pound
2/6/02 Palo Alto, CA Icon Nightclub
2/7/02 Sacramento, CA Roadhouse
2/8/02 San Diego, CA Canes
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